Bill passed in RS to end juvenile homes bias

New Delhi: Rajya Sabha on Friday passed a bill
with a provision that juvenile home children suffering from
diseases like leprosy and TB need not be separated from rest
of the occupants.

Replying to a brief debate on the Juvenile Justice (Care
and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2010, Women and
Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath said segregation of
children suffering from leprosy, sexually transmitted disease,
Hepatitis-B, TB and unsound mind is not required.

"In the opinion of experts also, segregation is no more
necessary for the treatment of such children," she said.

The minister said the Delhi High Court had also held that
there was a need to amend discriminatory legislations and to
ensure that persons suffering from leprosy enjoy equal status.

The bill seeks the omission and amendment of certain
sections of the original Act, which had provisions for
"removal" of such children from the juvenile homes to
treatment centres.

She said the segregation of the children from the Home
will have adverse impact on their mind and they will feel
stigma.

While supporting the amendments, several members expressed
concern over pitiable condition of juveniles homes, which
lacked basic amenities like sanitation and proper food.

Besides, the members said there were instances of sexual
abuse of the children in these Homes by the authorities.

There are no separate courts of these delinquents and they
are produced in the normal courts and taken by the police
there, the members said, adding it went against the spirit of
the Act.